Pickling Ginger 1
2021-12-19
Formulation and Technique
1tbsp kosher salt for 2cups of water.
Salt dissolved and mixed into solution until no grains remained.
Water filled to the brim, no ginger breaching the surface tension.
Placed in "pantry" cupboard so that light would not affect it.
Timeline
- 2021-12-19 - Sliced, brined, jarred
- 2022-02-01 - Opened
- 2022-03-05 - Finished
Background
Following 100rabbits / grimgrains lactofermentation guide, we decided to try pickling ginger.
Ginger is conceptually an easy thing to pickle: it has natural anti-microbial properties, it slices thinly (lots of surface area), and a single root is just right for the smaller jar we started with.
We wanted to start small, since neither of us had actually tried the process before. We bought a 2cup glass snap-top jar at Daiso, used Mortons kosher salt, and used distilled water. The goal was to reduce confounding factors by as much as possible - no iodine, no chlorine in the water. Hopefully, it’ll work great, and we can start using tapwater.
Outcome
The seal was strong, and the ginger was preserved perfectly - even a little sweet.
It was surprising how well this kept, even after opening. At no point was there ever any oiliness or film on the surface. The ginger itself was slightly sweetened by the process, but for the most part stayed pretty much intact as if it were fresh. Notably, this beat out refridgeration by keeping the ginger moist - normally ginger root will dry out and develop growths when left in the fridge.
It’s a pretty pedestrian project, but well worth it as a first step into lactofermentation. Our next test will probably involve a vinegar brine, and be something more akin to pickling.
